PinnedChristen O'BrieninHuman PartsWhat It Felt Like to Almost DieMy near-death experience taught me not to fear those final moments·7 min read·Jan 18, 2019--171--171
Christen O'BrienMy Brush with Anthony Bourdain“Tony wears fucking espadrilles now!”, she said to me as the three of us huddled together at the after-party, her voice laden with humor…4 min read·Aug 27, 2021----
Christen O'BrienAs I Stood on the Edge of DeathRealizing I was dying was like being pushed into a pool. No sliver, no ounce, no existence of control. I kept my story secret for a…8 min read·Aug 18, 2021--12--12
Christen O'BrienHow to Lose Your Best FriendNo one tells you what it’s like to put your dog down, to hold your best friend as they take their last breath. Here’s what no one told me…12 min read·May 17, 2021----
Christen O'BrienThe Truth About His DivorceThe beginning of the actual divorce long predated the beginning of the legal one. You could say it started when his business sank into…15 min read·Dec 12, 2020----
Christen O'BrienWe Are Made of Stars: A Look at Human Ashes Under a High Powered MicroscopeEverything changed for Gabriela Reyes Fuchs the day she got that phone call from her Father. A physician who saved many lives during his…6 min read·Jul 11, 2020--3--3
Christen O'BrienI Ignored My White Privilege in a Mixed Race FamilyIn my high school class, I was the only white O’Brien. My Aunt Judy had adopted seven children from Brazil many years earlier, two of whom…4 min read·Jun 10, 2020--4--4
Christen O'BrieninHuman PartsMy Dog Lay With Me at the Hour of My DeathShe helped me survive with a new understanding of the world around us8 min read·May 29, 2020--27--27
Christen O'BrienWe’re All Living in a Spaceship Now: The Oddity of Our Pandemic POV“This is Major Tom to Ground Control I’m steppin’ through the door And I’m floating in the most peculiar way And the stars look very…4 min read·Apr 11, 2020----
Christen O'BrienWhy We Struggle to Talk About DeathIt wasn’t until I almost died that I began to understand death. After surviving a massive pulmonary embolism that the E.R. physician…5 min read·Jan 29, 2020----